


Turning Tables

by clysmian



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, F/M, Masturbation, More tags to be added, Porn with Feelings, and Linde of course, brief appearances by Alfyn and H'aanit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28206597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clysmian/pseuds/clysmian
Summary: Tressa accidentally invades Therion's privacy, and the two proceed to have the most frustrating game of one-upping tug-of-war ever.
Relationships: Tressa Colzione/Therion
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

This is horrible. Tressa understands that Therion is simply taking care of business by responding to a natural human need, but her whole self still flushes with anger. It takes much of her self-control not to scream at him, but then that would reveal her position and she knows he would never speak to her again. It will be difficult even looking at him in the eye as it is.

… not that that's stopping her from staring, witnessing the shameful spectacle mere meters away from her. Why  _ is _ she still looking?! She should just leave as quietly as possible, erase this scene from her memory with some kind of brain bleach, lose herself in counting her leaves and checking her inventory and just think of cute puppies and bunnies and…

She keeps staring.

Why can't she look away?! No matter how hard she tries, her gaze remains firmly glued to the sight of Therion's exposed shaft and the way he works away at it with his hand. The only other thing she can see is his expression - or at least the quarter of his face that's visible, considering the hair over his eye and the lower half mostly buried behind his scarf. His cheeks are flushed and his brow is knitted, visible eye shut in a mix of concentration and pleasure. He strokes himself more quickly, and he presses his free hand against his mouth (or rather, his scarf) when a husky groan escapes his lips.

There was already some kind of inexplicable spark in her, but the sound of his voice finally ignites it. Something drops in the pit of her stomach. Her toes curl in on themselves inside her boots. Her heartbeat pulses in her ears, and the temperature seems to become increasingly hot. She bites her lip.

And against her better judgment, she keeps watching - and listening. The slight twist of his wrist as he reaches the head, the muffled breaths against his scarf, the soft and slowly quickening sound of hitting his own skin, the way his eye cracks open ever so slightly as his chest heaves--

Tressa’s underwear feels damp.

Oh. Oh, no. No no no. No way. This wasn't supposed to happen. There's no way Tressa Colzione would be turned on by stumbling upon  _ Therion  _ masturbating in some isolated corner of the woods. No way.

_ And yet, here we are. _

She should leave. Just sneak out, forget everything. Pretend Therion doesn't exist. Will the arousal away… or, well, at this rate she might have to find her own secluded spot to take care of business. Damn it. Stupid Therion! Stupid Therion and his wild good looks, and his agile body, and his sexy voice--  _ UGH! _

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Tressa's eyes snap open to see Therion, covered up but still flushed, parting the foliage to glare down at her.

Oh, dear Bifelgan.

“Uh-- I, uh… I was… y'know, looking for berries…?” Tressa laughs in a weak attempt to cover up her stammering. “The weather's so nice, so I thought hey, why not go pick some berries--”

“ _ Tressa. _ ”

She freezes.

He opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again and grits his teeth while averting his gaze. His face is red and a little sweaty, and his clothes are still rather out of place - more so than usual, anyway. Finally, he sighs. “Whatever you might have seen, forget it. Nothing happened here. Got it?”

Just as Therion turns on his heel to leave, Tressa's hand shoots up to grab a hold of his poncho. “Therion, wait!” The look he gives her is a chaotic mix of confusion, irritation, shame and perhaps... a bit of fear.

Well… she has him there. Now what? She gulps, and the words spill out before she can fully process them. “Y-you… didn't get to finish, did you…?”

Therion's face flares up and she can't tell if it's because he's angry or flustered. His voice catches in his throat, and he forcefully tugs his poncho out of Tressa's grip. “What's it to you? I told you to forget about it.”

“I…” Oh no. Way to go, Tressa. Idiot of the year. For all her guts and business sense, she really hasn't the faintest idea of how to navigate such an…  _ adult _ situation.

Well. She  _ is _ an adult. Maybe it's time to finally prove it.

She gazes up at him and Therion falls silent. “M-maybe I could… I dunno…”

“You want to help me because watching me got you all hot and bothered. Is that it?”

“I mean--! Ugh, did you really have to say it like that?!”

He gives her a flat stare. “Well, am I right?”

Everything is awful.

Tressa tries not to squirm beneath his gaze as she is put on the spot. She basically admitted to it already, didn't she? Shame burns through her cheeks while a strange sense of something like anticipation boils in her belly. “I …”

… she gives up and hangs her head in defeat.

“Yeah…”

A few seconds of silence pass until Therion tries and fails to stifle an amused chuckle. Tressa looks up at him indignantly, but loses the will to protest when she sees the wild smirk on his face. 

“Well, well. So you're capable of that after all.” Why does he look so amused?! “I didn't think I would have that kind of effect on you.”

Oh, if only she could strangle him right now. She picks herself up from the ground and dusts off her knees. “Oh, shut up, will you?” Despite her irritation, the way he says those things with that voice of his is really driving her crazy. She feels a tug in the pit of her stomach. "How else am I supposed to feel after seeing that?" She folds her arms over her chest indignantly.

Therion's reply comes so instantly that it catches her off guard. "I dunno. Disgusted? Horrified?" He asks in a tone so casual it unnerves her. "I didn't think that a dirty thief like me could get someone like you so worked up."

Tressa's jaw sets as she considers his words. She looks back at him with a scowl. "First of all, what do you mean by  _ someone like me _ ? Tell me."

The thief shifts his weight and Tressa's appraising eye spots an important clue: he did so uncomfortably.

"You know, someone of your morals. Your integrity. You're so dedicated to your craft and doing things honestly; you've already made your opinion of me quite clear. There's no reason why you shouldn't find me despicable."

She falls silent. He admitted to that so easily. He recognized her values and put himself down in the same breath.

While he's not entirely wrong, the way he says it puts Tressa ill at ease.

"... Here I thought you were going to call me a child again." Her arms shift; instead of folding firmly, she now holds herself.

Theron scratches the back of his neck and grumbles. He averts his gaze to some far-off point in the distance. "You know I just say that to rile you up," he admits. "I know you're not a kid, Tressa."

"Then why won't you treat me like an adult?"

Her arms falling to her sides with clenched fists, Tressa steps closer to him to bridge the gap between them. Therion starts and takes a small step back.

"Why are you retreating, huh? I thought you'd stand your ground like you always do," she growls, frustration flaring within her.

This guy. He's so insufferable. Not only is he a thief, he's also a well-established  _ jerk. _ She knows his story, and she feels for him and all the suffering he's endured. But that doesn't give him a free pass to treat her like a moron.

Therion has a hard time meeting her gaze. "Stop that, you idiot."

"Stop what?" She huffs. "Stop asking hard-hitting questions? Don't I deserve to know why you won't take me seriously? Why you dismiss me so easily and call me a child?" Her face is flushed with anger at this point. "Why do you always turn me away when I try to help you?"

His shoulders slump with a sigh as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "How should I put this…"

The frustrated girl folds her arms again and waits impatiently for his explanation. She could have pressed on, but opted not to, given Therion's reaction.

Tressa did not expect him to suddenly grasp her shoulders and pull her to his chest.

"Wh-what are you--?"

"I'm sorry, Tressa."

Huh…?

She looks up at him; his scarf has fallen from his face so she can see his boyish jawline and well-defined lips. Even with the serious air he's taken on, she can't help but flush at their proximity.

"I push people away because I've been hurt before. You know this already," he starts, and she nods. "But with you, specifically… I feel… exposed."

Her eyebrows arch. "Exposed? How?"

"You have a good eye, Tressa. Just as with merchandise in a shop, you saw right through me in an instant. And I felt vulnerable."

Whoa whoa whoa wait. Hold on. What? Tressa opens her mouth to speak, but Therion doesn't give her the time to formulate any words as he continues.

"So your keen eye posed a threat to me. You're an honest person, unlike me. My goal was never to make you feel bad about yourself, but rather to turn your gaze away from me." He takes in a deep breath and sighs. "But I think I've just been trying to convince  _ myself _ , most of all."

She stares up at him, even if he won't look at her. "Convince yourself of what…?"

"... That I wouldn't need you. That I wouldn't want to be around you."

Tressa puts her hands on Therion's chest and pushes against him to lean back. Her mouth hangs open as she stares at him, still unwilling to look her way. Her eyes search his face for answers, for  _ clues _ , but come up short.

He closes his eyes and sighs. "I don't deserve your help or your kindness. You really shouldn't bother with a criminal like me."

He finally looks at her when she grabs a fistful of her scarf and pulls him down. "Therion, you jerk," she starts angrily - but anger is not the only reason for the redness in her cheeks. "Are you saying you've been trying not to  _ crush _ on me?"

Therion chokes and sputters at this accusation, and his olive skin reddens to match hers. "Why, you little…"

He doesn't finish the thought. Instead, he closes his mouth and glares at her for a prolonged moment before finally giving up. Again, he averts his eyes, gaze now softening.

"... You got me. Happy now?"

Tressa stands there, stunned, and slowly releases her grip on him.

What just happened? Did he seriously just confess to bullying her because he had a crush on her, like a schoolyard bully? Was he treating her like a kid to convince himself he wasn't attracted to her?... That's all kinds of messed up.

And… What are her feelings doing right now? How is she supposed to take this?

"Right," he clears his throat, shifting on his feet. "Now if you don't mind, I'll just go--"

"Were you thinking of me?"

Therion's gaze snaps to her instantly, mouth hanging open. "What?"

Tressa locks eyes with him with red cheeks. "Just now. When you were touching yourself. Were you thinking of me?"

She can't believe the shit she's blurting out, and neither can Therion. His face flushed and he grits his teeth. "You moron," he growls, bringing a hand up to press Tressa's hand down over her head. "You can't just  _ ask _ these things--"

"You asked me earlier, asshole!"

Therion freezes. He's never heard a word like that income out of Tressa's mouth before, and even  _ she's  _ shocked by what she just said. Nevertheless, she steels herself and maintains her intense gaze on him as she fixes her hat.

"I was honest with you and you were being honest with me just a minute ago," she says firmly. "After all the times you've treated me poorly, I think you owe it to me to answer my question."

Therion stands there in silence until he runs a hand through his silver hair, grumbling all the while. He folds his arms under his poncho and looks away. He doesn't answer.

She taps her foot impatiently, and he sags slightly, leaning his weight back in some weak attempt to put distance between them.

"... Yeah."

"Yeah?" Tressa echoes, leaning forward suspiciously.

Therion gives up. "Yeah, okay, I admit it. I was having  _ improper thoughts _ about you while jacking off." He says those words in a mock tone that's definitely meant to echo Cyrus before returning to his usual wording. "Happy now?"

The merchant stands there in silence.

Again, he shifts awkwardly. "Hey, you asked and I answered. My part's done. Can I go now?"

"No."

His aqua gaze returns to her face with an irritated glare, but any words he thought of saying die in his throat when he sees Tressa’s nervous grin.

“No, Therion, not yet,” she chuckles shakily. She takes a step forward and Therion instinctively steps back. Another step forward, another step back. Therion stops when his back hits a tree, and the girl jabs a finger into his chest.

Tressa’s mind is racing, and she can’t believe she’s doing this. But dammit, she’s trying to be brave, and she’s going to see it through. Maybe he’ll finally take her seriously.

“You…” With her emerald gaze locked with his, her finger tip pressed into his chest slowly glides down his torso as she speaks. “... are going to tell me exactly what you were thinking of. In detail.”

A bead of sweat rolls down Therion’s forehead and he bats her hand away. “Oh yeah? Why should I?” He scoffs.

She won’t let that gesture dissuade her. Instead, she reaches under his poncho and grabs his belt. “Because something tells me you still need to let it out.”

He purses his lips and scowls. It is short-lived, however; the glint of an idea flashes through his eyes as he seemingly regains his composure.

Keeping his gaze on her, he raises a hand to tilt her chin up as he leans dangerously close. “Let  _ what _ out, Tressa? Tell me.”

His voice is smooth and low and it hits Tressa right where it hurts. She fights back against a shiver threatening to run down her spine. This jerk, is he trying to turn the tables on her?! “Y-you know what I mean--”

“Hmm? I’m not sure I do,” he grins wickedly, laying on the charm. His other hand comes up to rest against her thin waist. His grin widens when she jumps with a small squeak. “You have good vocabulary, don’t you? Come on. Use your words. Pretend I’m a customer and convince me.”

The red in her cheeks spreads across her entire face, up to her ears and down her neck. Gods, it’s really hot in here. She tries to will her body to stop sweating, but to no avail. “Therion, you jerk…”

He chuckles in response and it just makes things worse. She can feel the lower parts of her anatomy reacting again. The young man watches her intently and waits for an answer.

Dammit. She has to go through with this, doesn’t she? Tressa swallows nervously and opens her mouth. She’s parched. “Your, um… y-your… s… spe--”

“No, not that one,” he stops her with a finger to her lips. “Something less clinical.”

What? Ugh. Is he seriously going to make her think of raunchy synonyms?... Tressa knows the answer to that already, but she’s not all that familiar with the lingo. She gives him a light punch in his lower abdomen, prompting a soft  _ oof! _ from him followed by another laugh. “Give me a hint!”

“Easy.” He tilts her head to the side and brushes some hair away from her ear as he leans into it to whisper. “Three letters. It’s also used as a verb.” His hot breath tickles her ear. “It has the same first letter as the word  _ cock _ .”

Tressa covers her mouth with her hands when that last word leaves his lips. How can he be so  _ vulgar _ ? She’s sweating bullets now, and the heat building between her legs is growing more and more uncomfortable. And  _ urgent _ . “Uh, um… c… y-your c…” She stammers, unable to get the full word out. The embarrassment is  _ crushing _ her, and yet… and yet… she can’t help but find this all incredibly hot.

Therion stares at her expectantly. “I’m not gonna let you leave until you say it.”

“Oh, you’re just enjoying this, aren’t you?!” Oh, she so badly wants to wipe that stupid smirk off his face. He just laughs. Bastard. “I just-- I don’t want anyone else to hear me, I--”

He arches an eyebrow and leans down. “Whisper it to me, then.”

Gulp. Okay… She leans in and brings a hand to cup around her mouth. She casts a nervous glance at their surroundings one last time and steels herself.

Hold on. She doesn’t have to play into his hands like this.

Here goes…!

“Therion,” she murmurs into his ear, cranking up the breathiness of her voice. “Won’t you let me help you cum?”

It’s Therion’s turn to shiver as he hisses through his teeth and grips her waist harder.

AHAH! It worked! In your face, Therion! Who’s laughing now, jerk?...

He grips the back of her head and looks her dead in the eye. His cheeks are heated again. “You brat,” he growls hotly, “do you really want me to touch you that badly?”

Tressa’s mouth falls open, then closes. That’s what they’ve been working up to, isn’t it? No matter her embarrassment, there’s no way she can deny it anymore. Her body aches for his touch. Her hands twitch impatiently for the chance to feel his skin.

Screw it.

She leans her body into his and presses him back into the tree, palms splayed over his abdomen. “Don’t forget that I offered first,” she breathes, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. She sees the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallows.

“... Fine, then.” He finally concedes. “Let’s see how you live up to the fantasy.”

He folds his hands behind his head and she swears internally. He didn’t answer her previous question at all! Now she has to compete with an Imaginary Tressa?!

Good grief… She takes in a shuddering breath to calm herself. She has no experience with this whatsoever, but how bad can it be…? This stuff is instinctual, right? Right now, her gut directs her hands to inch down his abdomen and past his belt.

He's not smacking her hand away. So far so good. Now for the tough part. She closes her eyes as her hands drift downward to the front of his pants…

And Therion suddenly grabs her wrist. She gasps with a start and stares at him wide-eyed. “W-what’s wrong? What did I do?”

“Someone’s coming,” he says coolly. “The others must be looking for us.”

… Oh. OH. Right.

“Sorry, but it looks like we’ll have to take a raincheck on this.” Therion adjusts his scarf and gently nudges her away. “Come on, let’s go.”

“W-wait--” Tressa hurries after him as he begins to walk away. Dammit, of all the times…! A new kind of frustration wells up within her and it’s almost enough to make her eyes sting. Wait, no, her eyes  _ are _ stinging. Ugh…!

Therion grasps her hand and she looks up in surprise.

“Let’s go to the inn as soon as we’re back in town. Then we can have some privacy,” he states as he pulls her along. He looks back at her over his shoulder with a smirk. “I’ll answer your earlier question, so you better be ready to take notes.” And he looks away.

Take notes?...

After a few more seconds, it clicks, and Tressa’s face flares up once more.

“Yo, Therion, Tressa! What took you guys so long?”

“Thou hadest us beginning to worry. Didst something happen?”

“Nothing. We just got caught up in money talk. Right, Tressa?”

She blinks and snaps back to reality, only just now realizing that Therion released her hand. “Huh?... O-oh, yeah. Money talk.”

Therion ignores the others’ looks and presses on. “Well, I really could use a nap. Let’s head back to town.”

They exchange looks, shrug and follow his lead.

Tressa hopes to Bifelgan that the trek back is short.


	2. Chapter 2

Therion went ahead and booked a room for himself and Tressa whileyshe went to the market to barter off the spoils of their trip. H’aanit joined her to browse the wares, with Linde never too far behind her.

Tressa hands off a bag of feathers to the other merchant as he gives her a sack of leaves. With a quiet thank you, she turns and begins to walk away. The huntress follows after her in contemplation.

“Art thou feeling unwell, Tressa?” The woman’s voice snaps her out of her daze.

“Huh? Oh, I’m fine!” Tressa laughs nervously, stuffing the bag of leaves into a pocket of her rucksack. “Maybe I’m just a little tired after today…”

H’aanit eyes the merchant with a scrutinizing gaze and Tressa almost feels like Cyrus must have rubbed off on her. “Thou art acting rather unusually. Thou didns’t seeke to barter with the man.” She glances back at the merchant’s stall over her shoulder. “I thinke thou may hath been swindled, even.”

“O-oh, is that so…?”

The taller woman frowns at Tressa’s unconcerned attitude, but says nothing when Linde pads up to the girl on the opposite side. Tressa notices the snow leopard with a small smile and scratches behind her ear; Linde leans into her touch with a purr, but quickly returns to her objective.

Her objective being… sniffing Tressa’s crotch…?

The girl gives a soft shriek. “Linde! Don’t do that!” She covers the area with her hands. The cat tilts her head with what Tressa can only assume is a puzzled look.

H’aanit meets Linde’s gaze and nods in understanding. “I see.”

“S-see what?” The merchant asks shakily. Is she onto her? Panic and shame weigh in on her stomach, but the woman simply smiles at her.

“Nothing of greate importance,” she replies. “Let us hasten back to the inn. Thou must be tired indeede.”

“R… right.”

The huntress and her companion lead the march back to the inn and Tressa breathes a sigh of relief. She’s worried that H’aanit must have figured her out, but she's also so very glad she dropped the subject.

Well, wait… H’aanit is older and more experienced. Surely she understands what Tressa’s going through. Like… this is a natural thing, right?

… Even so, thinking of Therion’s words from earlier brings heat rushing back to her face, and the embarrassment she feels is undeniable.

Ugh. Maybe she’ll work through it eventually.

Before she knows it, they’ve made it back to the inn. H’aanit and Linde remain downstairs while Tressa goes up the stairs.

Therion had told her she would know which room was theirs, but didn’t specify how. Wrinkling her nose in thought, she slowly makes her way down the hall, looking every room door up and down in search for a sign.

It thankfully doesn’t take long before she arrives at a door with what looks like a purple cloth stuck through the crack on the bottom. Tressa kneels down to inspect it. She knows that shade of purple. With a pinch of her fingers to feel the texture of a fabric, she nods to herself. This is his scarf.

She stands up and gently raps her knuckles against the door.

“Tressa?”

That’s him, alright. “Yeah, it’s me. Um, can I come in…?”

She can hear him scoff from the other side. “Obviously. It’s your room too.”

Alright. Tressa takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. Calming her nerves, she opens the door and steps inside.

Thank goodness she has the habit of closing the door behind her.

There, sitting on the edge of the bed, is Therion, stripped of his boots, scarf and poncho. All of his belts, weapons and pouches have been removed and tossed to the side. While he still wears that white open shirt, the purple sash and the baggy black pants, he looks noticeably disheveled, with a thin sheen of sweat permeating his skin. A few strands of silver hair stick to his flushed face. His chest heaves with every hot breath that escapes his parted lips.

And his aqua gaze, intense and lustful, pierces directly into the girl who just walked in.

“About time you showed up,” he grunts. “Lock the door, will you?”

Tressa tenses and nods hurriedly, turning around to secure the lock into place.

Oh, gods. That forced intermission was really bad because Tressa finds herself unprepared for this all over again. The very sight of him is a  _ ridiculous _ turn-on and her inner voice can’t stop screaming. What does she do?!

… What she  _ doesn’t _ do is chicken out.

The girl heaves the heavy rucksack off her shoulders and sets it down by the entrance. In doing so, she now realizes the scarf’s other purpose: muffling out the noise. She quickly stuffs it back into place and straightens up.

“Come sit with me.”

She doesn’t look at him immediately, and despite hearing him loud and clear, makes no sign of acknowledgement. He doesn’t press her, though, while she removes her boots and her hat.

With another deep breath, she turns and walks over to join him on the bed, setting her hat down on the bedside table. Therion takes a moment before turning to look at her, but when he does, she turns at the same time, and their gazes meet.

Awkward. Tressa tugs absent-mindedly on the bedsheets. “So, um... “

“... Sorry. I got a little ahead of myself,” Therion admits, breaking away from her gaze to lean his elbows on his knees and stare off. “Despite everything I said earlier, I won’t blame you if you’ve lost interest. You can still back out.”

“Huh?” Confusion grips her, which then fades to annoyance. “I never said I lost interest.”

He gives her a sidelong glance, leaning his cheek against his fist. “Are you sure?”

Tressa can’t help but grumble. There he is, hot and sweaty and ready, and he expects her to change her mind? That won’t do. That won’t do at all.

She scoots closer to him and she can just feel the warmth emanating from him. She gathers the courage to lean against his side, bringing a hand to his strong shoulder as she leans in. He doesn’t smell like anything. She always thought that was really weird, but he had explained to her that it was a thief thing. Something to do with stealth.

“Of course I’m sure,” she says in a softer voice. “You still owe me a detailed account of what you were thinking about earlier.”

Therion scoffs and smirks. Gods, that smirk does such sinful things to her. “I did promise, didn’t I?” He straightens his back. “Okay. I’ll tell you all about it.” He grins wolfishly as he leans into her ear and wraps an arm around her waist. “You better not miss a single word of it, Princess.”

In any other context, she would have rolled her eyes at such a pet name, but instead it makes her heart skip a beat. Tressa sits there and does her best to pay attention to his words amidst her racing thoughts and the coiling in her belly.

"Where do I even begin…?" He wonders in a smooth voice. "In my thoughts, you look at me with pleading eyes and rosy cheeks, trying to cover yourself up with your hands. You beg me to make you feel good."

Oh, wow. He's barely started and this is already so much. Tressa gulps and listens.

"So I put my hands on you," he continues, placing a hand on Tressa's shoulder. "I take my time exploring. I start from the top…" He smooths his hand over her collarbone. "... And work my way down…"

It slowly moves downward, caressing every inch through her clothes. His deft fingers undo the fastening on her vest and push the garment open.

"And you love it when I do  _ this. _ "

He gently grips one of her breasts and gives it a soft squeeze. Tressa gasps; no one has ever touched her breasts before, and even she has never done so in a sexual context. They were just another part of her body. But when he does it, even through her clothing, the sensation is… new, and strange… and definitely  _ nice. _

"I love the embarrassed look on your face," he chuckles. Is he talking about his fantasy, or the face she's making right now? "But I can't linger there forever when you beg for more… so I keep going down…"

Again, his hand moves downward, gently pressing into the soft flesh of her abdomen. Tressa closes her eyes and leans back just slightly as his touches, indeed, leave her wanting more. The hand reaches her hips… and then shifts to the side to slide over her leg.

Tressa gulps at the feeling of his warm hand slowly running up and down her thigh. Despite her anxiety and the mounting tension, there's a certain relief behind that teasing touch… a certain reassurance.

In spite of the many times they've butted heads and their opposite morals, she finds herself trusting him in this moment. She already trusted him to watch her back in a fight; claiming he was an unreliable ally would be a lie, no matter their differences.

She bites her lip as she comes to the realization that she's more than alright with this decision.

Therion pauses in his narration as he looks down at his hand smoothing over Tressa's thigh, slowly inching inward with every stroke. His warm breath tickles her cheek and her skin erupts into tiny goosebumps as another shiver runs down her spine. His gaze flicks back up to her flushed face and lingers there…

Tressa finds herself opening her legs just the slightest bit in response to his strokes, but there is an obvious obstacle.

Might as well address it now.

"... The dress is in the way, though," Therion continues. The girl turns to him in mild shock. Did he just read her mind or something?

"Oh, um-- yeah, let me just…"

She stands from the bed a little quickly and regrets leaving his warmth, but tells herself it's only temporary as long as she doesn't somehow scare him off. The merchant hurriedly shrugs off her vest and lets it drop to the floor before moving on to the buttons of her dress.

A pair of warm hands come over hers and she whips her head around to see Therion standing behind her. "Here…" Her hands fall away as he takes over, slowly undoing each button as he presses up against her back. Tressa gasps softly when she feels something hard poke against her rear, and again when the thief nuzzles against her ear.

He's been surprisingly gentle with her as he moves down to grasp the hem of her dress. The garment is lifted slowly, hands pressing warmly against her sides as he brings it up. She doesn't even need to be told to bring her arms up as he lifts her dress up over and off her head and arms, only to join her vest on the floor.

A shiver runs through Tressa as the cool air hits her skin. The realization that she is now in just her underwear sinks in, and instinctively she tries to cover herself up with her hands. Therion chuckles into her ear and it once again makes her weak.

"Heh, I told you so," he says smugly, bringing his hands back over hers.

Tressa huffs. "Sorry for being so predictable."

"Don't worry about it," he chuckles, and Tressa feels his smirk ghosting over the skin of her neck. "It's cute."

His lips press against her flesh and she doesn't even process that she's tilting her head the other way to give him better access. Her eyes flutter shut and her lips part just enough for a soft moan to escape. His hands gently grasp hers to pry them away from her body before returning to feel around her soft abdomen.

She has no idea what to do with her hands in this situation, especially when Therion continues to press disarming little kisses against her neck. The gentle way he handles her, the soft feeling of his lips, the warmth of his body… It's rather overwhelming. She leans back into him, and in doing so, accidentally brushes her rear against his crotch.

Therion hisses through his teeth and it's just enough to bring some semblance of clarity back to Tressa. It takes her a moment to realize what just happened; her ears flare as it clicks, and then something occurs to her.

"Hey, uh," she starts, pausing to lick her parched lips, "how come I'm the only one getting naked?"

Therion withdraws from her neck to meet her gaze and gives her a flat look that lasts a split second. He averts his gaze just as quickly as he clears his throat. "Uh, well." Gods, he's  _ so _ cute when he's caught off-guard. "I was just focused on you."

Tressa stares at him.

He looks back at her after a prolonged moment and she's still staring him down. "W-what?"

She grins impishly. "Did your fantasies only entail touching me?"

The thief's face turns an uncharacteristic shade of red and he stammers. "Maybe. So what?"

"Wow, Therion. I didn't peg you as the type to prioritize your partner's pleasure over your own." Tressa brings the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic swooning gesture. "How selfless! How romantic! What a gentleman you are."

Therion scowls at her as she snickers. He lets go of her and takes a step back. She turns around, and before she can say anything, he divests himself of his shirt.

Tressa's eyes widen at the sight of his toned torso, all compact, lean muscle taut under his olive skin, marked with various discolored scars. He's not a very big guy, but the subtle definition of his features cause more heat to pool in Tressa's stomach.

"Okay, how about we go off script, then?" His smirk is an annoyed one matching his knitted brow. In one swift movement, he grabs her wrist and drops back to sit on the bed, pulling her with him. She stumbles with a yelp and falls to her knees between his legs.

"Ow-- what are you--" She begins to protest, but her words die in her throat as she realizes she's now face to face with the tent in his pants.

"Go on," he orders, unwrapping the sash from around his waist and exposing the waistband of his pants. "Since you were so  _ insistent _ about getting me off earlier."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know where I'm going with this orz

**Author's Note:**

> (uses defibrillators on thression tag) LIVE, DAMN YOU


End file.
